At a time when many brick-and-mortar ski shops in the country are going out of businesses, Spokane Alpine Haus owners Rachel and Drew Harding say they’re excited to be in the position to open a second shop this fall. Their business has outgrown the capacity of their long-time South Hill location, and opening a second shop will help them better meet customer demand.
With a planned grand opening in October, the new Alpine Haus outpost just north of downtown near the Audubon-Downriver Neighborhood will feature the same quality winter sports equipment and apparel, season lease and equipment rentals, and custom boot fitting and customer service as the South Hill store. The new digs at 2215 W Northwest Blvd. will include a 6,000-foot space that was most recently a Chase Bank branch.
After looking for the right spot for their new shop in multiple locations in north Spokane, the Hardings say they finally settled on the building on Northwest Blvd., which they purchased in December, because they liked the neighborhood feel and location. “The more time we spent in the neighborhood, the more we realized how amazing it is. It’s an active area, close to trails and parks,” says Rachel. As well as close to new and existing customers on the northside and west of Spokane. “We saw a need for the new store when customers were coming in and telling us how far they drove. Nobody else does what we do with our season lease program that makes it affordable for families to ski together.”
The Hardings, who took ownership over Spokane Alpine Haus in 2015, aren’t planning any changes to the South Hill location and are excited to grow with Spokane in the years ahead. Stay tuned for planned soft-opening events at the new shop in September or pay them a visit at 2925 S Regal St. on the South Hill.
Derrick Knowles
Cover photo courtesy of Spokane Alpine Haus
